Paris by the Bay: Bell’occhio in San Francisco

In an age where everything is beginning to look increasingly homogenous, an idiosyncratic store like Bell'occhio in San Francisco stands out all the more.

Claudia Schwartz, the proprietress, travels the world in search of rarefied merchandise from small ateliers: Austrian felt rucksacks, handmade brushes from Sweden, a huge selection of ribbons and ric rac from France, Pineider stationery from Italy. Long before the advent of online shopping, Schwartz would buy up European telephone books seeking out interesting places and fax ahead to set up meetings. "You can find something interesting anywhere you go," she says. "Discoveries are usually a result of talking a long time" (example: a trove of metallic flowers Schwartz sleuthed by chatting to a women in a market in Montpellier, France). Lucky for us, Schwartz likes to talk. To shop online, go to Bell'occhio.

Above: The day we visited Bell'occhio, we were greeted by the sounds of Alpine cow bells (a shop staple), followed by Schubert and Rossini (Schwartz's husband creates a daily playlist for her from an enormous pile of CDs).

Above: Schwartz's store is layered with detail; the wall of shelving is from a Dominican convent.

Above: The two chandeliers are suspended from a custom boom, rigged by a nautical specialist. "When we need to change bulbs or ornaments, we simply loosen the ropes and the chandelier comes down via a pulley," says Schwartz.

Above: French ribbons are a staple at Bell'ochio.

Above: The store is known for its handmade boxes; the Aqua and Red Boxes range from $18 to $34.

Above: Schwartz commission her own H2 Eau Carafe, inspired by some vials she bought in France.

Above: The pile of hats on the left are Lavendiere Chapeaux traditionally worn by French lavender harvesters; $72.

Above: A collection of baskets are from the southwest of France. Schwartz employs an in-house calligrapher who hand-letters all her signs.